Welcome To University: Meals to Cook on a Student Budget

By Simon Thompson

By Elizabeth Whittingham

no more pasta and ketchup

Here are some top tips on how to cook affordable meals, minimise on washing up and also make your food more exciting- whilst still sticking to that ‘Student Budget’. Although during Fresher’s Week, cooking good, wholesome food tends to go out of the window, for when the fresher’s dust settles and you are in need of some proper nourishment, here’s a look at the best recipes to try your hand at, and some top tips along the way.

Liven up your pasta!

We have all been there with a bowl of basic spaghetti complete with ketchup on top, still, pasta can be really exciting, cheap and tasty with just a few added extras! Pasta bake is a great way to liven up your food, just a simple tomato sauce with pasta, you can add cheese, herbs, chilli and even breadcrumbs on top to add some crunch. With dried pasta being well under a pound, along with tinned tomatoes, this dish is brilliant because you can make it as expensive or as cheap as you want.

Minimise on washing up!

A great way to make an affordable dish and save on a lot of washing up can be done through only cooking in one pot. One pan rice is a great meal when you are using whatever it is you have in your cupboard. Just add veg, beans, spice or cooked meat into steamed rice for a hearty and quick meal.

Get spicy!

Have the staples to a Thai curry in your cupboard; curry paste, coconut milk and rice, this can really help when cooking a cheap meal in a hurry. Just add whatever else you want in the form of vegetables or meat for a wholesome dish. Opt for frozen vegetables and no meat if you are really trying to budget. If you don’t have any curry paste you can always used curry powder for a very similar effect.

Breakfast ideas

Making your own granola can really save on grabbing breakfast on the go, it can also be fun because you can add whatever you want to it to make it your own special recipe. Adding dried fruit and nuts can stock up on those vitamins whilst keeping it in an air tight container will keep the crunch. This is great for budgeting as you can make it in bulk in order to save on buying individual packets.

Top tip: you can also make the granola into cereal bars by adding peanut butter or honey to bind it together. Chill for three hours before eating and slicing, and make sure that you keep it in an air-tight container.

Another great idea for a student breakfast, especially if you’re in a rush, is to give overnight oats a go.

Wraps

Fajita wraps are a failsafe for any student. The pack is usually brought for around £1, all to be added is chicken and veg. If you are really saving then you can make your own spice blend

instead of buying the packet.

Utilise frozen vegetables

An easy and healthy meal can definitely be achieved by using big packets of frozen vegetables which can be picked up from supermarkets such as ALDI and Lidl for pennies and transforming them into a soup.

Although the idea of soup can seem daunting and full of numerous ingredients, it’s really not that hard and can usually be improvised.

Just dice two onions, garlic, salt and pepper before frying till cooked. Then add in a heaty amount of vegetable stock along with your mix of frozen vegetables, mixed herbs- even some paprika and dried chilli for added

spice before blending it all up to leave you with a super tasty soup. To liven up cheap pieces of bread, try melting some cheese over the top with mixed herbs or adding some garlic and olive oil before baking to make hot and fresh garlic bread.

Liven up cheap cuts

Okay, being a student tends to mean that, like a true peasant, you don’t have the privilege of good cuts of meat. Don’t worry, if you do have to buy frozen chicken breasts or budget sausages, there are plenty of recipes online for you liven up your meat with, from sweet and sticky marinades through to garlic and herbs, check them all out here.

Throw it all in one pot

If you would like a no-nonsense and cheap way of cooking then the ‘throwing it into one pot’ method is a great way to save on the pennies and to get started on other tasks whilst waiting for your food to cook!

Use those trays

Everyone loves a good tray bake, you can literally throw an assortment of ingredients onto one, hope for the best and usually end up with a good meal. Whether it’s roasted meat or vegetables or even a large tray bake cake! Check out a few tray bake recipes here.

Go veggie for the night

Feasting on some vegetarian food isn’t just super delicious, it’s also great for your waistline- avoiding fatty meat- and perfect for your wallet as veggie food is much cheaper to buy and prepare!

Try going vegetarian for one night a week and see where you would like to go from there, a great option is to consider buying big bags of frozen vegetables and cheap protein alternatives such as chickpeas and lentils- bulking up on starchy foods such as sweet and normal potatoes is also a great idea.

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